The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-02-24
REPUBLIC HOLOCAUST.
RESULTS OF CORONER LEPPER'S IN
VESTIoATIoN AS TO THE CAUSE.

An Overworked Engineer in Charge OF a
Disabled Engine, with Conductor Who
Failed to Give the Proper signals-Om-
cials Charged with Gross Neglect. I.a
TEFIN, O., Feb. 22.-TThe coroner of Sem
eca county has concluded his investigation Of
the great Baltimore & Ohio holocaust Of
january 4, and has rendered the following
verdict, which speaks for itself:
~, Edward Lepper, coroner Of Seneca
county, Ohio, having duly inquired into as to
whom and by what means William Freder-
ick and others, whose dead bodies were found
In Scipio township, Seneca county, Ohio,
about one-half mile west of the village Of Re-
public, on the morning of Tuesday, January
4, 1887, after having examined said bodies
and heard the evidence, do find that Will
lam Frederick, of Holgate, Henry county,
Ohio;J NJ Francis, of Black Hand, Licking
county, Ohio; Frank Irwin of Black Hand,
Licking county, Ohio; w. H. Pierce, of
Wheeling w. Va Joseph Postlethwait, Of
Wetzel county, West Virginia; Spencer Pos
tlethwait, of Wetzel county, West Virginia;
Henry Postlethwait, of Wetzel county, West
Virginia; H. M. Parks, of Washington;
Frank d. Bowman of Mechanicsburg, Cum
berland, county, Pa. David Ober, of Oberlin,
Dauphin county, Pennsylvania; Thomas o.
Pemberton, of Payne, Paulding county,
Ohio; Alva B. Ice, of Penfeld, Champaign
county, Illinois; John s. Gortner, of Mechan-
=. lcsville, Cedar county, Iowa, and others,
whose names to ME are unknown, came to
their deaths by being crushed, mangled and
burned in a collision on the Chicago division
of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, which col
lision occurred about one-half mile west Of
the village Of Republic, township, county and
state aforefaid, on Tuesday, January 4, 1887,
at about 2 O'Clock a. M, standard time, of
said day, between limited express train No.
8, westbound, in charge of Conductor T.. H.
Haskett, drawn by engine No. 1885, Engineer
Lemuel Eastman, and freight train No. %,
eastbound, In charge of Conductor L. F.
Fletcher, drawn by engine No 923, Engineer
Edward s. Killer
81 further find that engine No. 923, afore-
said, was at the time of said collision, and for
a long time prior thereto, in very bad work.
ing order, and in a very dangerous, unser-
vicable and unsafe condition, and this fact
was well known to the engineer, Edward s.
Killer, and to the officials and other employees
of said railroad company at Garrett, Ind.
and that the said Killer and others had called
the attention of the said officials to the fact
that said engine No. 923 was In bad working
order, and unfit and unsafe to be running on
the road, but that the said officials had neg
neglected and refused to put said engine in
good repair. u H..
"Ifurther find that the said engineer ed
ward s.. Kiler) was not under the influence Of
Intoxicating liquor at the time of said col
lision, but that he had been sixteen hours and
6fty minutes continuously on this trip, and
chat he had anew and inexperienced fireman.
and that he was greatly overworlsed and
fatigued. That he had ample time to make
the run from Seneca siding to Republic switch
before the limited express aforesaid was due
at that point, to-wit; Thirty-eight minutes
(after allowing limited express ten minutes
clear, which is one of the rules of said COM
pany) to make a distance of four and three
tentbs a 3-10) miles, and that he could easily
have made this run but for the fact that his
engine failed for steam That when he
pulled out Of Seneca siding he had 140
pounds Of steam, and that his engine hues,
crown bolts and stay. bolts leaked SO badly
that it pHt out the fire, and he was unable to
Keep up SOcdll, dlu lTOIIl UulS Gauss Ills ell
gine became totally disabled and died on
the main track about one mile west of Re-
public aforesaid, at the point where the col.
Gsion occurred
"That the conductor of the freight train,
L. F. Fletcher, was on the engine at least
fifteen minutes before she came to a standstill
or died as aforesaid, and that said engine
and train was moving at a very slow rate Of
speed during that time, and that he, the said
conductor, had ample time to send flag
ahead and flag the said limited express in
time to avoid collision, and that it was his
duty to do this according to the rules Of said
company, under instructions to conductors
to-wit: If the main track is obstructed, or
II from any cause they are compelled to move
ut an unusually slow rate Of speed, they must
lake an immediate action, and not assume
Ihat there are no trains approaching, They
must see that their hagmen do their full duty
and that their trains are fully protected.
They must always use torpedoes under such
circumstances in addition to the regular sig
nals.' And that the said engine No. 823,
aforesaid, came to a standstill or died on
the main track aforesaid not lees than ten
minutes before the limited express was due
ut Republic station, and not less than twelve
minutes before the collision took place; and
that said Conductor Fletcher had ample time
TO hdg said express train in order to avoid
collision, but that either through'fear Of be-
ing discharged for placing himself in such a
position as to necessitate the tagging and
stopping Of a train of superior class (which,
under the rules Of the company, would have
been the result) or from some other excuse,
to me unknown he neglected to so do. N
"And l further find that the limited ex-
press train, No g. aforesaid, was about two
or three minutes late and running at the rate
of about forty-three miles an hour when she
passed Republic station, which is about one
half mile from the point of collision, and that
the headlight Of the freight engine could
have been seen by the engineer Of the limited
express when within 800 feet thereof, and
that with proper and effective brakes, in
good working order, and prompt action on
the part Of the engineer, said express train
could have been stopped in time to avoid said
collision; that the engineer of said express
train did act promptly; that he had his cab
window open SO that the frost and steam On
the glass would not interfere with his having
a clear sight ahead; that he had his head out
of the window Of his cab, and his hand on
the throttle; that Immediately upon seeing
the headlight of the freight engine he shut
her off, put on the brakes and reversed his
engine, throwing the lever back to next TO
the last notch, but owing to the Ineffective 1
ness Of the brakes used on said limited ex-
Il. A. % 80. l,a1,., 40